The real Hogwarts, created by wizard-artists

A model of Hogwarts castle from the Harry Potter film series is unveiled at the Warner Bros Studio Tour, Watford, London, on March 1.

Who would have been able to tell that the aerial shots of the Hogwarts castle in the first Harry Potter film were actually of a small-scale model? You can now see the original for yourself as part of the Warner Bros studio tour in London. According to AP:

The Hogwarts castle model was built for the first film 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', it was created for aerial photography and was digitally scanned for CGI scenes. It took 86 artists and crew members to construct, and measures over 50 feet in diameter and has over 2,500 fiber optic lights.

Jonathan Short / AP

Stuart Craig, production manager, unveils a model of Hogwarts castle at the Warner Bros Studio Tour, Watford, London, on March 1.